Glasgow Great Buchanan Street

[melmerby]

What an odd signal on the right, second photo. Presumably left over from the Caley.

Why not a straightforward LH bracket, short doll, with the return weight on the main post?

[Hunslet 102]

Glasgow Great Buchanan Street 

 

Now that I have settled on the name for the layout, the story behind its existence into the 70s is required!

 

During the 1950s, a proposal was made for Great Buchanan Street and Queen Street stations to be made into one large station serving the north of Scotland, with both stations being demolished with a purpose built larger station on the Great Buchanan Street site replacing them.

 

Nothing materialised from the proposal and both stations continued as they were into the 1960s.

 

However, during Beeching, Great Buchanan Street was recommended for closure, along with some of its existing lines. But, fortunately, it was given a stay of execution as it was soon realised that it would put too much congestion on Queen Street station, as it also had a couple of lines retained that were due to close.

 

Due to redevelopment in the area, it would be reduced to 4 platforms from 6, but would still retain its existing destinations. It would also be granted a twice hourly service to Edinburgh, which along with Queen Street would ensure 4 trains an hour between the two cities, with an additional hourly service still running from Central. This was achievable due to the distance involved in the original destinations served and the frequency of them, that meant the platforms were readily available and made more use of the station, helping it to be as economically viable as Queen Street.

 

The goods yard, adjacent to the station, was also another reason for the station to remain open, as it was deemed its location within the city centre would help boost the already declining freight traffic. It was also thought that the carriage sidings in front of the tobacco factory, that dwarfed the station, could be re extended into the factory, as per from years ago, to export the tobacco to the rest of the country. This would have provided great revenue for BR, but, this did not materialise and the sidings remained as carriage sidings.

 

Unfortunately, as the 70s progressed, and containerised freight started to replace loose coupled wagons, it was realised that the freight yard was too cramped and unsuitable for container traffic, and the axe fell on it in 1973.

 

This hastened the demise of Glasgow Great Buchanan Street station and it would only survive  for another three years, finally closing in 1976, having thrived for a decade since Beeching, and making it into the BR blue/grey era.

 

The layout covers the stations activities from 1970 until closure in 1976, featuring mainly BR blue era with the odd maroon coach still kicking about.

 

In happier times, a Class 25 leaves the station with a service to Dundee Tay Bridge, while a Class 37 waits to follow it out with empty parcel vans from the carriage sidings. A Class 40 has backed down onto its train for a later service to Aberdeen.

 

A view of the tobacco factory that dwarfs the station, it’s self not lasting much longer than the station, being demolished in the early 80s.

[Hunslet 102]

A trio of Type 2s, Sulzer power!

These engines were stalwarts on the Scottish region, giving sterling service for many years.

Type 2, Class 27-D5348 , heads a train to Fort William, passing sister Type 2, Class 27-5357, bringing up the rear of an Edinburgh to Glasgow service.

Type 2, Class 26-D5325, trails behind the express, with a short goods from Cadder Yard.

 

 

[Hunslet 102]

20s plenty, the urban signs say, but you can never have too many Class 20s!

These first generation workhorses of BR really proved their worth down through the years.

The photos below show a couple at work on goods trains both either leaving or arriving at Cadder Yard.

 

 

[luckymucklebackit]

Hi - very interested to see this project, I also did a model based on Buchanan Street, it can be seen in my layout thread.  I notice you were having bother finding the exact location of the station.  I lost count of the number of times I was asked this, so I did this overlay.

 

 

Buchanan Street Bus Station can be seen bottom right, Cowcadden Road is just above.

 

Jim

[Hunslet 102]

3 hours ago, luckymucklebackit said:

Hi - very interested to see this project, I also did a model based on Buchanan Street, it can be seen in my layout thread.  I notice you were having bother finding the exact location of the station.  I lost count of the number of times I was asked this, so I did this overlay.

 

 

Buchanan Street Bus Station can be seen bottom right, Cowcadden Road is just above.

 

Jim

Many thanks Jim and glad the layout is of interest to you. I have just read the first page of your layout thread and throughly enjoyed it, some amazing modelling, the signal box is fantastic.

Look forward to reading through the rest of the thread.

Thanks also to those that continually look in on the thread and like what they see.

[luckymucklebackit]

On 06/08/2023 at 23:33, melmerby said:

What an odd signal on the right, second photo. Presumably left over from the Caley.

Why not a straightforward LH bracket, short doll, with the return weight on the main post?

 

All the platform starter signals were this pattern, as you say the original Caledonian design, only converted from lower quadrant in the 1950s.  Not an unusual feature, Leeds Central had a similar configuration. 

 

 

There was an even more unusual signal on the approach, instead of calling on signals there was a ringed distant, signal 45 on this diagram (copyright signalbox.org).  When cleared this indicated to the driver that the route was clear to the bufferstops.

 

 

Jim

[Hunslet 102]

 

It’s the late 1960s and the photo above shows some traditional freight and traditional Scottish locomotives of the time. Heading towards Great Buchanan Street goods yard is a Class 29 with some pristine (for now!) blue spot fish vans. Passing her in the opposite direction is a Clayton Class 17, with a rake of empty coal wagons.

 

 

Within the next couple of years, both locomotives would be withdrawn and scrapped, while the loose coupled freight trains were also doomed.

 

 

Oblivious to the trains passing through, the women in the back entry’s are busy with their washing, hoping that the occasional break through of sun will ease their workload!